Hill Street Blues was a combination of drama and comedy about imperfect heroes who tried (and often failed) to uphold the law and hold their messy lives together. With gritty realism and an open-ended narrative style that wove storylines together, Hill Street paved the way for dramas like NYPD Blue and ER.
Brought out by a fine troupe of actors, the continuing storylines of the show blended the drama and humour of life at Hill Street Police Station (located in the ghetto area of a large, unnamed East Coast US city) from 7:00 am roll call until the late night news.
Captain Frank Furillo (Daniel J. Travanti) was the cool-headed commanding officer of the precinct who eventually married his girlfriend, Public Defender Joyce Davenport (Veronica Hamel), in March 1983. Frank had to cope with police bureaucracy and a chaotic personal life. Fay (Barbara Bosson), his ex-wife, was also constantly hounding him for more alimony.
Among others in this popular cast were Officers Bobby Hill (Michael Warren) and Arnold Renko (Charles Haid) – originally meant to be killed off after the first episode – and officer Lucy Bates (Betty Thomas from the Second City improvisational theatre troupe).
Belker (Bruce Weitz) was a scruffy undercover detective who sometimes bit offenders and barked at startled dogs. To criminals, he was a terror (“Would you like to sit down, hairball or would you prefer internal bleeding?”).
Henry Goldblume (Joe Spano) was the dedicated and idealistic community affairs officer who sometimes took the brutality he saw around him too serious. Howard Hunter (James Sikking) was the trigger-happy leader of the precinct’s S.W.A.T. team, ready to blast away at a moments notice.
Tall, fatherly Phil Esterhaus (Michael Conrad), the head sergeant, provided a haven of calm in the storm. He ended each roll call with the same words, “And, hey – let’s be careful out there.”
Esterhaus was killed off in 1983 (following the real-life death of actor Michael Conrad). He had been having a passionate affair with Grace Gardner (Barbara Babcock), the middle-aged widow of a fellow officer, and according to the story, he suffered a heart attack while making love to her.
His replacement, Sgt Jablonski (Robert Prosky) ended his roll calls with “let’s do it to them before they do it to us”.
In its second season, Hill Street Blues won a record eight Emmy’s, and the theme tune, written by Mike Post, went to #10 on the US charts.
Hill Street Blues was a most unusual mixture of drama and comedy, fast-paced and deliberately choppy, as was life at the station house. Although the city in which the series took place was never mentioned, the real-life station house seen in exterior shots was the Maxwell Street Precinct in Chicago.
Dennis Franz, whose character of Norman Buntz quit the police force in the final episode of Hill Street Blues, moved to a spin-off sitcom called Beverly Hill Buntz, with the abrasive Norman becoming a Private Detective in LA.
Sgt Phil Esterhaus
Michael Conrad
Capt Frank Furillo
Daniel J. Travanti
Officer Bobby Hill
Michael Warren
Officer Andy Renko
Charles Haid
Joyce Davenport
Veronica Hamel
Det. Mick Belker
Bruce Weitz
Lt Ray Calletano
Rene Enriquez
Det. Johnny ‘JD’ LaRue
Kiel Martin
Det. Neal Washington
Taurean Blacque
Lt Howard Hunter
James Sikking
Lt Henry Goldblume
Joe Spano
Sgt Lucille Bates
Betty Thomas
Grace Gardner
Barbara Babcock
Fay Furillo
Barbara Bosson
Capt Jerry Fuchs
Vincent Lucchesi
Det Lt Alf Chesley
Gerry Black
Officer Leo Schnitz
Robert Hirschfield
Officer Joe Coffey
Ed Marinaro
Officer Robin Tataglia
Lisa Sutton
Jesus Martinez
Trinidad Silva
Det Harry Garibaldi
Ken Olin
Det Patricia Mayo
Mimi Kuzyk
Mayor Ozzie Cleveland
J.A. Preston
Sgt Stanislaus Jablonski
Robert Prosky
Lt Norman Buntz
Dennis Franz
Officer Patrick Flaherty
Robert Clohessy
Officer Tina Russo
Megan Gallagher
Officer Raymond
David Selburg
Brought out by a fine troupe of actors, the continuing storylines of the show blended the drama and humour of life at Hill Street Police Station (located in the ghetto area of a large, unnamed East Coast US city) from 7:00 am roll call until the late night news.
